


clean hands

by thepartwhere



Category: Kingdom, Kingdom Netflix, Netflix Kingdom, 킹덤 | Kingdom (TV 2019)
Genre: Death, F/M, Gore, I’ll add more NSFW tags when we get there!, Joseon Period, Medieval Korea, Smut, Zombies, also probably, because I love giving myself a hard time, both routes go through the same events but with different romantic interests so you get to choose!, kill me, one route is a romance with the prince and the other is a romance with Yeong-sin, tbh I know I named 2 romances in the title but the story is probably going to split at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-03 18:51:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17883341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepartwhere/pseuds/thepartwhere
Summary: In-ha was once a girl with a grand destiny – one eclipsed by the schemes of powerful men. Resigned to life in obscurity, she must decide what part she will play when the nation comes under threat from the ravenous dead, and when she finds herself taking solace in the arms of a man she has no business being drawn to.(Or – “old affections meet new desires with a side of undead.”)





	1. outbreak

**Author's Note:**

> A few things before you read this. On this account we like writing OC stories where the stories are sisters of a canon character - in this one, she'll be related to a canon character still. If you don't like that, we hope you still try to read for yourself and see how you like it, but we get it if you don't. And if you get irritated at how strange In-ha's situation is, well... All we can say is there's a reason for it that will be revealed over time. Promise. We hope you can read it before deciding for yourself! But we understand if you'd rather not, and you're just like, "eh, Mary-Sue. No thanks" It's happened. 
> 
> Still, we pride ourselves on writing well-written OCs despite the background people might not enjoy, so we can promise that, at least.
> 
> As a note, the word "uinyeo" refers to female physicians present during the Joseon dynasty. We prefer to use it over saying 'the female physician' all the time.
> 
> We hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> And for the record - this is Elis! And written by me, kinda looked over by Senna because she's really busy. I've been obsessed with Kingdom for the past month (I hate that I watched it late when I could've discovered it way earlier) and it has culminated in this! We do try not to include canon scenes without our own dialogue, but some of it was just too vital to the story not to add in.
> 
> So, yes. Hello. Read on! And please leave a comment when you're done! c:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flashbacks in each chapter’s beginning are just that. Flashbacks. To a more innocent time, I should say, for both the crown prince and the OC.

_The north was always going to be colder, but she hadn’t expected nights to be like this._

_In-ha checked her windows. All closed, and still she felt a breeze about her room. She sighed and settled into bed, drawing the blankets she had requested up to her nose._ This isn't going to do _, she thought. She needed more blankets._

_Throwing the ones she had off her and slipping into her shoes, she smoothed down her dress and walked to the door. There would be no guests or teachers at this hour, but she could never look anything other than her best. She was determined to make it a habit early on._

_Right as she opened the door, she heard a light_ thud _somewhere in the residence._

_“Jin-hui?” she called. Her head and the candle in her hand peeked out from between her two sliding doors._

_No response._

_In-ha pursed her lips. She supposed the others must be eating dinner somewhere now that she had decided to rest, but what had that sound been? This place had to be safe, but the north was still different. She didn’t know what awaited her here._

_Removing one shoe and carrying it in her free hand, she stepped out of the door._

_“Jin-hui?” she whispered, taking one step forward and then two._

_One more step, and then a figure appeared from an intersection in the hall ahead. It stilled at the sight of her, but In-ha wouldn’t have known that. With a scream, she threw a shoe at the intruder._

_“Ah—hey!”_

_It was a man._

_“Who’s there?” she called out angrily, though she had taken a few steps back, closer to her door. “Men are forbidden in my residence!”_

_The intruder grumbled, picking up the shoe on the floor and getting to his feet._

_“Don’t come any closer!” she yelled, already taking off her other shoe._

_“Don’t—don’t throw the other one! Are you insane?” the intruder hissed, hurriedly walking up to her. She was prepared to chuck it at him again if he hadn’t come within the light of her candle and revealed himself: a handsome young man with a four-clawed dragon embroidered into his deep blue robes._

_In-ha nearly dropped the candle as she fell to her knees at once. “C-Crown prince,” she murmured. “Please accept my deepest apologies. I had no idea…”_

_“You’re lucky your aim is terrible,” he said wryly, wrinkling his nose._

_In-ha looked up. When the crown prince didn’t look ready to banish her (or worse), she rose to her feet. Her head was still bowed when she spoke. “Your Highness… I’m sorry, but it’s not proper for you to be here.”_

_Prince Chang appeared to consider that, only to dismiss it with a shake of his head. “I just wanted to see who you were. Weren’t you curious about me?”_

_In-ha now looked upon him and found that she had been. Of course, that made none of this permissible. “I was, Your Highness, but I wasn’t going to break protocol to steal a glance.”_

_“I’m afraid patience is a virtue I’ve yet to learn,” he countered, grinning, looking very pleased with himself. “Besides, didn’t you think it a worthy endeavor?”_

_In-ha searched his eyes for the trap, but it seemed a genuine question. She gave a genuine answer. “Only if you aren’t caught.”_

_“Ha!” the prince laughed at that. “How old are you?”_

_“Sixteen, Your Highness.”_

_The prince was nineteen, but he was more carefree than she had expected._

_“Well—”_

_“Lady In-ha?” Jin-hui’s voice called out from somewhere down the hall. “We thought we heard yelling. Were you looking for us?”_

_Lee Chang’s eyes widened as he rushed into her room and pulled her in with him. She yanked her arm back instinctively, though she ushered him further inside as Jin-hui’s hurried footsteps came closer. Eventually, a girl her age came into view, wearing worry in spades. “Mi-yeon said she heard a scream.”_

_In-ha popped her head out of her room. “I’m fine, Jin-hui. The cold has just become unbearable. That scream was unbecoming of me, I’m sorry.”_

_Her words made Jin-hui visibly relax. “Oh, Lady In-ha,” she even laughed, “you’re lucky the crown prince can’t hear you from here! They say he’s a light sleeper.”_

_In-ha stifled a sharp intake of breath at that. “Yes… Lucky.”_

_None the wiser, Jin-hui was still smiling. “Let me just get a few more blankets for you, then.”_

_That would entail letting her enter the room. “Oh—no, I’m fine. Now, at least,” In-ha added. “If we’re going to live here, I don’t want to be a burden.”_

_“But—”_

_“Please,” In-ha insisted, starting to pull back and close the doors. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. Please go and enjoy dinner.”_

_“…All right,” Jin-hui murmured, now giving her a strange look. Still, she accepted it and bowed before turning away._

_“Good night,” In-ha called after the girl as she disappeared down the hall. Once she was able to shut the door, she turned about face and made her way behind her room divider._

_The prince emerged, sighing in relief. “I admit... I didn’t think you would cover for me.”_

_“Your Highness, I think I would be the one punished if you were found here.”_

_Prince Chang had the decency to look a little chastised. “…I know,” he said. “Next time, I’ll visit when everyone is asleep – and bring snacks. I’m a light sleeper_ and _I get hungry.”_

_Her jaw dropped. “Your Highness!”_

_He could only laugh, more softly this time. “I think we might even become good friends.”_

* * *

It was mid-afternoon by the time the two made it to Dongnae and stabled their horses for a fee. A man and a woman entered the city with curiosity, though the latter stretched her arms with a grimace as they walked deeper into the city, past the cruder housing of commoners.

“Finally,” she murmured. Her clothes were simple, suited for travel or work, and dull, and a single braid hung low on her back. “I needed to stretch my legs.”

The man glanced over with a suspicious expression. “Why are we here again?”

“I told you. I want papa’s favorite dish prepared when he comes back. Where better to find the best fish than a coastal city? I want to choose the fish myself—I trained for that, too, you know.”

“One of your many accomplishments, I know,” said the man. The sarcasm was obvious in his tone, but he lowered her head after a beat. “If I may be so bold so to say.”

“You may, Byung-gi, but know that it’s only because Jin-hui likes you so much.”

Byung-gi barely stifled a smile at that. “I’ll be sure to thank her, Lady In-ha.”

In-ha shot him a look. “We may be far from home, but anyone can report me if you keep talking like that.”

He bowed his head. “My mistake. But I will say that this would be easier if you came up with an alias.”

“I know,” she murmured, but gave him none.

They continued forward, and Byung-gi looked displeased. “I expected more guards at the city gates… and more people.”

“Settling down for the day, maybe? But I didn’t expect it would be this early.”

“No,” said Byung-gi, “this _is_ strange.”

In-ha followed his gaze. A few commoners milled about, but where were the city guards? “Well… I suppose it’s a slow day. Why don’t you find us a place to stay the night? I want to browse the market now and see what they have left. It should tell me at least a little about what to expect tomorrow morning.”

Byung-gi gave her a funny look. “I’m not going to let you out of my sight. Especially not now that the sun is setting.”

In-ha glanced away in irritation, but gave him that. He looked surprise at her resignation, but she only curled her lip. “Fine. We find a place to stay, and then go to the market. I hope they still have something left.”

“We leave tomorrow noon. You’ll find something for your father whether you go tonight or not.”

“Oh, all right! Ugh.” In-ha glared at him while rubbing at her arms. It was starting to grow cold now that the sky was darkening. Up ahead was one of the city’s inner gates. That would stifle the evening breezes somewhat. “Does Jin-hui _like_ that you’re always right?”

“Oh. No. There are some opinions a man must keep to himself,” he said, half-fearful, half-proud. In-ha was about to respond with similar mirth when a scream erupted within the city.

Screams, in fact.  
  
In-ha stopped, only to keep going forward. “What...”  
  
“My lady, wait!” Byung-gi called out, drawing his sword.  
  
“Shh!” In-ha hissed, whirling at him. She would have scolded him had she not seen the lone figure down the road, lingering near the gate. It was a man lumbering forward, hunched at an odd angle. “Sir?” she called out. “Is everything all right?”  
  
The sound of her voice woke him. In-ha thought she might have heard something crack as his head snapped up. And then he started running. Toward them, snarling, arms limp at his sides.  
  
“What is he doing? Stop!” Byung-gi commanded, raising his blade, but the man disobeyed him. As he came closer, he seemed to be frothing at the mouth - with blood.  
  
“Byung-gi!” In-ha gasped.  
  
Byung-gi swept forward and sliced at the man’s stomach. The man fell forward, tripping from the stopped momentum, only to pick himself back up. He was completely unhindered by the wound. He didn’t even seem to notice that.  
  
“He—shouldn’t have survived that,” Byung-gi breathed.  
  
In-ha’s left hand flew to her nose. “There’s something wrong with him. He—“  
  
She cut herself off as she leapt out of Byung-gi’s way. The man had rushed headlong at them again and her companion advanced in return—this time, beheading him.  
  
The man’s head rolled to the side, face up. Blood all over his face and the body that fell. Byung-gi held an arm out when In-ha took a step forward to look, but even he was shaking.  
  
In-ha backed away, glancing at Byung-gi instead. “He has a stench.” Both hands covered her mouth and nose now, for the smell and the shock of having watched a man die.  
  
“Like death,” Byung-gi said with a grimace. “This man was gravely ill. And yet he had full use of his limbs…”  
  
“I’ve never read of an illness like that.”  
  
Byung-gi nodded to acknowledge this as he looked around. “We need to find guards and report this. But where did everyone go?”  
  
A silence pervaded their small corner in the city until the snarls came again. Slowly, if one listened carefully, they dissolved into screams.

The two exchanged glances. Curiosity made In-ha want to investigate, but a shiver ran down her spine. Byung-gi lightly touched her shoulder, guiding her forward. “My lady… we should go. We need to leave.”

“I think so,” she agreed, but by then the wails had already reached them. Two more people came hurtling past the same archway as the now dead man had. This time, it was a woman dressed in silks chasing a member of the city guard.

“Help!” he cried. Byung-gi ran forward, but woman had tackled the guard to the ground—right at his feet.

Pinning him down, the noblewoman began tearing at his clothes with her teeth until she could sink them into his side.

Byung-gi took a step back, horrified at the sight. His blade was drawn between himself and the creature, but he couldn’t move. “Wh-What is she doing!?”

Once again, the sound of another’s voice pulled the woman from her feast. She snarled at Byung-gi, blood and guts hanging from her teeth, dripping down her neck, all as she made ready to pounce – when another scream stopped her forever. It came with a blade coming down on her neck, born by In-ha. She’d taken the other sword at her companion’s back.

“She—she was a demon,” In-ha whimpered, grip trembling around the sword hilt. “Wasn’t she? T-The guard—is he dead?”

Finally regaining his composure, Byung-gi motioned for her to step back. “Something tells me he isn’t. Stay back, my lady.”

In-ha obeyed this time, and just as Byung-gi morbidly predicted, the guard’s wound didn’t stop him. Moving his arms, he propped himself up with a snarl. His head snapped up too, in that inhuman way the others’ had, and his eyes were white. His skin paled as though he’d been dead for hours already.

Byung-gi cut him down before he could leap.

“Whatever they are, they can’t be reasoned with.” In-ha was unable to remove her eyes from the new corpses. “Let’s go. There’s no telling what happened to everyone else. Hey!”

Byung-gi had snatched the sword from her grip, wiping the blade and his own before sheathing them. “We need to run, not fight. And this will only weigh you down.”

“Give me the sheath then.”

“Lady, we might still come upon those who live. Not even common women may wield a blade.”

The sound of and the stench of death drifted in from the west. There was no time for this. “Very well. Just run!” In-ha cried, grabbing him by the arm.

They made for the way they came, but that place wasn’t free of the stench. Not to mention they had wound about the city upon their entrance, and the place was starting to go up in flames. Wherever it had started, the fire had now spread even to the city’s outskirts.

“Where do we go?” In-ha panted, glancing behind her. Those monsters hadn’t caught wind of them yet, but they were lost.

“Just keep going!” Byung-gi led them past another gate. The path there was well-lit, and she heard the sound of hushed voices calling out to them.

“Over here!”

“This way!”

One of the wide sentry buildings overlooking the city was filled with survivors, but they had barely cried out in joy at the sight of the living when a screaming child ran in from the other direction. One of the monsters grabbed him, and Byung-gi bellowed, running ahead, though he knew he would never make it.

“No!” In-ha screamed.

Soon, it faded. The sound of metal plunging into a succulent head demanded silence.

On the roof along the sentry tower was a man with a bloodied face and a top bun. He’d pierced the monster’s head with a lance before reaching down for the child. Once he collected the boy and passed him off to the others on the lookout floor, he whipped his head at them and beckoned furiously.

“What are you waiting for!?”

The two on the ground exchanged glances and rushed forward. Byung-gi hoisted In-ha up, helping her toward the man, and then the two on the roof pulled him to safety in turn.

In-ha was still catching her breath. “What is going on?”

The man looked at her, and then his gaze fell. “Those people… the dead…” he swallowed his hesitation and spoke. “They rise up at night to feast on living flesh. You must behead them to end their hunger.”

“Where did—”

In-ha had barely begun her question when he stood up and walked back to the lookout area, leaving her and Byung-gi to follow. She supposed she couldn’t blame him. A thousand questions raced through her mind, and she still felt the shudder of the blade when she had beheaded the woman.

“The dead—alive,” Byung-gi murmured. “Let’s stay within the railings where it’s safe.”

They had respite only for a moment. In-ha hadn’t yet stepped foot within when a woman with a newborn on her back came running in where the boy had been, screaming as the sound of the dead followed her.

The door to the stairs was locked from below. The man who’d saved them rushed to the woman’s aid at once, the railing crushing his stomach as he and the mother tried to reach for one another. But it wasn’t close enough, and the snarls were growing louder. The others on the floor could only watch in horror, frozen in place.

In-ha and Byung-gi rushed toward them, the former quickly climbing over the railing. The latter looked horrified. “What are you doing!?”

“Do the same as I am—!” she called out to their earlier savior. It was difficult to speak with the fire roaring, and the screaming, and the dead that were now coming into view. “Byung-gi, hold one of my arms while I take one of hers! Hurry! And don’t lose footing!”

Shoving off those blocking his way, the man with the top bun quickly shifted positions. He looked over to In-ha, a frenzied look in his eye as his hand latched onto one of the mother’s. The baby’s screams pierced the air, and the dead were inches from them.

“Pull!”

In-ha’s hand clasped the mother’s free one and she pulled, doing her best to ignore the way Byung-gi was crushing her other. Or was it the other way around? She couldn’t tell. Her body worked rather than her mind at the moment – senses operating separately while her willpower put her all into hoisting the woman up. The sound of fire and screaming and the baby shrieking filed her ears, and the stench of death was making her eyes water.

“They’re too close!”

“She’ll get bitten!”

Though her eyes were nearly closed from the effort it took to lift, In-ha was distinctly aware of the dead close to nipping at the woman’s heels. The baby began shrieking even louder. It seemed to call out to the monsters, who screamed in turn.

“Just _pull!_ ” the man nearly dangling outside the railings next to her bellowed.

The order gave In-ha the last push she needed. She screamed, lifting at the woman with all her might until the others safely within the tower grabbed the mother by the waist and hoisted her and her baby over. The dead continued to growl below, snapping their teeth furiously, but very soon In-ha and the fierce man were dragged back over the railing by the others.

“Thank you,” the woman wept. Her baby continued to wail.

“Are you all right?” Byung-gi called to In-ha from somewhere far away. In-ha’s heart was beating so loudly in her ears that everything else sounded distant.

Her arms and hands ached, and she felt as though she might just belong on the floor, or against the railing. She tilted her head back, panting, hoping to look at the sky.

Instead, it was fire and smoke that greeted her – and the gaze of the man who had rescued them, who had rescued the mother with her just now. It was intense, anger and desperation and sorrow all in one. She’d never seen anything like it.

It was difficult to look away.

“Hey.”

Byung-gi was propping her up, very clearly avoiding calling her by name as he did so. Ahead, the man broke eye contact and turned to the others on the second floor, spurring her to do the same.

In-ha stifled a groan as she sat up, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. Her arms and back would kill her in the morning, but at the moment she would welcome the pain if it meant surviving for that long.

The dead continued to groan hungrily beneath them, and the others on the second floor curled into themselves fearfully, trying to rest or watching out for any monsters that might learn to climb. They had only been lucky that the fire never reached this portion of city, but it wasn’t impossible if the wind blew any harder.

Despite her fatigue, that knowledge kept In-ha from nodding off. After some time, she began to stretch her arms, preparing to get up when Byung-gi reappeared next to her. She hadn’t even noticed that he’d gone.

“I spoke with the others… It seems that earlier today, corpses with bite marks were brought in from Jiyulheon. It’s a small clinic up the mountain from the city. Come nightfall, they came to life as those monsters,” he explained.

“And now Dongnae burns.”

Byung-gi nodded, then looked to the man who saved them. “That man – and an uinyeo – they tried to warn the city’s magistrate. He tried to burn the bodies, but they were imprisoned instead.”

In-ha followed his gaze as she rose to her feet. The man with the fierce eyes was now looking out from the railing. Byung-gi was too tired to warn her from approaching him, and he had other worries in mind. The monsters below were multiplying, and if they managed to somehow topple the building, he didn’t know how he would protect his charge. It was more unnerving than any threat the survivors here might pose.

“We won’t be able to save anyone else tonight. Those monsters would get to them before we could,” said In-ha, when she was at the man’s side. “Or…maybe off the roof, where you saved us and the boy… From behind the gate, before they see anyone…”

The man shook his head. “I’ve looked. Everyone else has either found a place to hide or they’ve been bitten.”

In-ha exhaled. Dongnae was nowhere near as large or as populated as Sangju, but there were enough monsters below them screaming for human flesh that the thought of so many falling to this – _disease_ – almost brought tears to her eyes.

“What’s going on? How did this all start?”

The man turned to her, brows furrowed, blood and dirt on his face. She thought he might give her an answer, but he only moved to walk past her and find another vantage point.

“Get some rest.”

 _Easier said than done_ , she wanted to snap. But it would be meaningless.

Eventually, In-ha managed it, if only out of sheer exhaustion.

* * *

In-ha often enjoyed the lull between sleep and wake and resented the crows at her bedroom window, but today she would give anything to hear them again. That would have been so much more pleasant than the sound of monsters below. 

“What are they doing?”

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Byung-gi’s voice. He was standing behind the railings with their rescuer, watching the monsters scurry about even more wildly than the night before.

“Looking for cover. They can’t stand the sunlight… It’s why they sleep in the day.”

“What?” In-ha rose to her feet, taking Byung-gi’s side.

Dawn had come, and the monsters were screaming and wailing in what almost sounded like terror. They dove beneath houses and threw themselves into wells just to avoid the light.

“So…” she began, “we’re safe?”

The man looked over at her. Her hopeful expression was returned with gloom. “For now.”

Standing between them, Byung-gi sighed. “We need to get out of this city if they return in the day.”

In-ha glanced over at the man. “What will you do?”

“Look for survivors,” he said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Without waiting for a response, he climbed over the side railings again and dropped down from the adjacent roof.

Watching him go, In-ha spoke. “He’s right. If we’re going to escape, we might as well take the survivors with us.”

Byung-gi hesitated. “Don’t you think we should warn your father? Something like this cannot be contained. Who knows how far these monsters will reach? Shouldn’t we inform the capital?”

In-ha glanced away. When she faced him again, she was resolute. “We round up the survivors, then we escape. I’m certain we weren’t the only ones who were able to hide.”

It was clear he didn’t agree. His duty was first and foremost to protect her, after all.

“If Jin-hui had come with us, wouldn’t you want to find her?” she insisted. “These people were separated from their families. Maybe others survived. It’s the least we can do.”

Byung-gi sighed at that. “For the record, Jin-hui never likes it when _you’re_ right.”

“Then it’s a good thing my happiness doesn’t depend on her,” In-ha smiled a little, though she still felt too heavy for mirth. “Let’s go.”

The man with the fierce eyes returned with a hammer and broke the chain that kept the hatch leading to their safe haven locked. In-ha and Byung-gi descended with the others, still wary as they moved about in the sun. The group stayed together, having found comfort in each other’s presence, gasping and wincing at the sight of the now unmoving, bloody bodies under the houses.

They found a few survivors weeping on other roofs or emerging from storage houses, and soon found themselves in the city plaza, where the magistrate conducted his business.

Noblemen stood about there with soldiers and civil officials, one of whom was in white – a clerk, possibly the head. He cried out in relief at the sight of the magistrate, who wandered out from one of the buildings following an uinyeo.

“Do you know what I went through!?” the magistrate screamed at him in turn, motioning to the woman next to him. “I would’ve died last night if not for her!”

The clerk whipped his head around until his eyes and an accusatory finger landed on the man who had saved them. “Him! It was all that fool's fault!” he waved almost comically at the soldiers surrounding the plaza. “What are you waiting for? Seize him!”

The two guards nearest the man grabbed one arm each. He didn’t even resist.

In-ha opened her mouth, moved to step forward, but Byung-gi held her in place. “No.”

“But—”

“Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

In-ha reluctantly obeyed. The man with fierce eyes was forced to his knees before the magistrate and the clerk, who continued to point rudely at him.

“This is all his fault. He knew about those hideous creatures but hid the truth from all of us!”

“I told you, didn’t I?” the man said calmly, looking up at his accuser. “I told you they weren’t dead.”

“How dare someone like _you_ glare at me like that!” the clerk cried. “I should—!””

The magistrate cut him off, but he was just as frantic, demanding that the man confess the truth. “What are those monsters? Where did they come from!?”

The uinyeo rushed to the man’s side. “I – I will tell you,” she said, bowing on her knees. “These people were the ill at Jiyulheon. They could no longer withstand the starvation and ate a human corpse...”

Gasps erupted from the crowd. In-ha and Byung-gi were similarly appalled, but they were not unaware of people who had done the same after the war. The south had suffered heavily from the war.

The uinyeo only nodded, continuing her explanation: those who ate the corpse flesh in Jiyulheon became monsters who crave human flesh at night, and hide from the sun in the day, sleeping as though dead.

“If that’s true, then why did you leave those corpses like that?” the clerk said, the first intelligent thing he'd asked since this impromptu trial had begun. “You should have gotten rid of them when you had the chance! My lord—you should punish them for their crimes!”

“I will accept punishment, but we need to get rid of the bodies," the man insisted. "Once the sun sets, the monsters will return.”

“Then we should bury them!” the magistrate gasped.

The man shook his head. “Even if you do, they'll just climb out of their graves. You must cut their heads off or burn them.”

“Burn the bodies!?” an old woman cried out from the crowd. She stepped into the plaza, clothed in pretty fabrics and indignation. A noblewoman. “Who says you can burn the bodies!?”

The clerk gasped and bowed low, urging the magistrate to do the same as the old woman insisted that burning the bodies of the dead was forbidden. That her son had been the first in three generations, and the magistrate and his man would have to answer to her if they laid a finger on her son’s body. Other nobles rose up in angry agreement, and the magistrate and his clerk began to argue between themselves about what to do about the bodies instead.

“This is a waste of time,” In-ha grumbled, shifting, antsy where she stood in the crowd. “That man is right. We need to get rid of the bodies before those monsters can spread what they have.”

“Don’t. Speak,” Byung-gi said sternly, grip tight on her arm. “ _You_ are a commoner, remember? You know what it means to be one and so you should behave like one. And even if you weren’t, you have no power here. You knew that when you decided to ride all this way south.”

“But…”

“I understand how you feel, but your father is the one who will pay if word gets out about your activities.”

In-ha took a deep breath. Part of her wanted to damn the consequences – didn’t this situation warrant it?

The magistrate and the clerk finally came to a decision—apparently splitting the bodies between those of common and noble birth so as to burn only the former—but the arrival of two men pushing through the crowd stopped them as well as the necessity of a decision on In-ha’s part.

“How can someone responsible for the people's safety be this incompetent?” a familiar voice demanded. Familiar, but different—it now held a presence it once lacked, or had not yet fully formed.

In-ha froze. The blood drained from her face, and her hands felt cold. Byung-gi looked to her in surprise when she gripped his bare wrist, but was too curious about the new arrivals himself to do anything.

The man who’d spoken was dressed in clothing just as fine as the nobility, while his companion was evidently his bodyguard. The former approached the clerk and punched him right in the face – so hard that he fell on his back.

The crowd erupted with shock, and In-ha stifled a shuddering gasp. She only gasped when, as the finely-dressed man drew his blade to the clerk’s chin, the soldiers readied their spears.

His guard deflected the spear of the soldier nearest him with easy confidence, and met the gaze of the head of the city’s soldiers. “Draw your sword,” he threatened, “and lose your head.”

The soldier sheathed his sword reluctantly.

“How dare you,” the clerk gasped, holding his cheek, “who do you think you are!?”

The finely-dressed man didn’t care to answer. “Such an incompetent and vicious coward cannot deserve to live. You locked the doors to the barracks last night and countless innocent people died!”

“If I had opened the gate, the - the soldiers would have been in danger!” the clerk cried.

“Firing an arrow at me is an act punishable by death and the annihilation of your family,” the man declared. “You’ve committed treason!”

The magistrate glanced fearfully between his clerk and the man with the blade. Suddenly he was small, giving the impression of a mouse. “Um… who are you again?”

The man reached into his pocket and threw his identity tag on the ground for the magistrate to pick up. The latter trembled as he did so, stumbling over his words.

“The four-clawed dragon… You are…” Suddenly he was on the ground, prostrating himself on his knees. “It’s an honor to greet the Crown Prince!”

Those surrounding the plaza turned to each other in murmurs, as though they hadn’t heard the magistrate well. But Byung-gi had, and he turned to his ward in shock. “We need to leave.”

It was too late for that. “What are you doing!? It’s the Crown Prince!” the magistrate yelled, forcing the plaza to its knees. Even the uinyeo and the man at her side followed, as did the soldiers before them. Only the prince and his bodyguard stayed on their feet.

The clerk, meanwhile, begged for his life.

The prince murmured something to him alone before withdrawing his blade, allowing the clerk to get on his knees as well. Things went more quickly after that – despite the protests of the nobility, the prince ordered that all the remaining soldiers gather the corpses to be burned for the protection of the people of Dongnae.

As the crowd dispersed to prepare for nightfall, the man who had saved those on the lookout area was taken away by soldiers. It seemed the prince hadn’t noticed, and Byung-gi watched it occur with In-ha at his side.

“I know what you must be thinking, and it’s not worth it,” he said, blocking her view of the prince. More importantly, the prince’s view of her. “The crown prince has things well in hand. We should return home while we can. Your father needs to know about this.”

“I agree, but you heard him. They need men. If we leave and they fail to remove the corpses by sundown… Don’t you understand? The more people we leave behind, the more monsters we will eventually have to contend with.”

Byung-gi sighed. “I suppose that man _did_ save our lives.”

“And Jin-hui would agree with me,” In-ha added.

“Stop bringing her into this. It’s unfair,” Byung-gi muttered.

“Okay,” In-ha sighed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I’m going to speak with him.”

“Wait!” Byung-gi stepped in front of her again when she moved. “Think about this for a moment. The prince can turn you in, and the people would believe him. Especially because he would be right. You shouldn’t even be here.”

“I…” In-ha hesitated, biting her lip. “I know that. But he _knows_ the bodies of nobility shouldn’t be desecrated, and still he gave the order. It won’t matter that I’m here.”

Byung-gi sighed. “I suppose I can’t stop you.”

“Just stay here. He doesn’t have to know that you’re with me.”

“I’m not about to let you walk into danger alone. I didn’t with those monsters, and I won’t in this.”

In-ha beamed at that. She and Byung-gi had been companions alongside Jin-hui for quite some time, but they had only truly become friends in the last three years. His words meant much to her. “Thank you, Byung-gi.”

“Just… let me speak. All right?”

“All right.”

The prince was giving orders to his bodyguard when they neared him, his back to them. “Find the uinyeo – I need to speak with her.”

A bearded older man, the bodyguard tensed at their approach, only for the prince to hurry him away. He gave the two stern glances in warning instead before bowing and leaving the prince’s side.

“What is it?” the prince asked, turning to meet them. Their heads were bowed, naturally.

“Your Highness,” Byung-gi began, “the man they sent to prison – the one with that uinyeo – he saved many people last night, including the two of us. If you need men to collect corpses for burning, we believe he would be of great help. If you wished it, of course.”

“The man from Jiyulheon,” the prince clarified, sighing as he gave it thought. “Yes. We need all hands working right now. Summon the guard so I can give the order.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” In-ha couldn’t help but respond, right as the prince turned away. Byung-gi almost groaned.

The prince turned back, eyes on her. “What did you say?”

She raised her head this time. “Yes, Your Highness.”

He paled, and her smile was sheepish. Sheepish, but apologetic, and not a little regretful.

The prince seized her forearm, squeezing it to assure himself that she was actually there.

“In-ha?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elis here. This was originally going to be Yeong-sin focused, but the more I wrote and considered In-ha's background/history, the more likely I figured it could be that she also has chemistry with the prince. So you get a story that splits into two at some point!
> 
> We'll leave it mostly up to you to decide how In-ha looks like, but should we include who we think might play the other original characters? (Byung-gi and Jin-hui, for example.)
> 
> OH AND. We put the crown prince at around 24 years old when Kingdom begins. We know Ju Ji-hoon is much older, but we'll explain later on. In-ha is 21 at the start of the show's events, too.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it so far, or at least found it a little intriguing. Let us know what you think, please! c:


	2. fly

_Prince Chang sat before her, a proud look on his face. "What do you think?"_

_In-ha stared at the pile of books on her desk. "I don't know if I'll have the time to read all this, Your Highness."_

_He dismissed her worries with a shake of his head. "That's why I'll be here at night. Making sure you read."_

_"When will I sleep, Your Highness?"_

_"We will make time for that. Don't worry."_

_The girl sighed. "I must admit, this isn't what I thought you would have in mind…"_

_His eyes narrowed at her. "What did you think I had in mind?" Before she could respond, his eyes widened. His face flushed, jaw agape before he spoke. "Oh. I see. I didn't think you were that sort, In-ha. I didn't even know young ladies like yourself knew, much less thought about such things…"_

_"I-I don't!" she gasped, cheeks blooming a pretty pink. "You mentioned snacks that first night. That was what I thought."_

_The prince smiled, regaining his composure and confidence at the sight of her embarrassment. "No, no. Of course there'll be snacks. Reading gets boring without a few things to eat. Don't you ever save some dinner for later?"_

_In-ha shook her head._

_"Huh." That someone else's mind would operate differently from his seemed to surprise him. "Well, the snacks are essential. You won't want for them, I promise."_

_"And these particular books, too, Your Highness?"_

_"Of course," he said. "It's important that you learn these topics. Would you want to talk to a brick wall for the rest of your life?"_

_"I'm not a brick wall, Your Highness," said In-ha. Her eyes were lowered respectfully, but a little resentment snuck past her tone. "I am a person."_

_The prince stopped at that, considering his words, and then nodded his apology. "Yes. I meant… Don't you want to learn more? About everything else?"_

_"I suppose so."_

_"Exactly," he said at once, eager to celebrate his victory and forget his mistake. "So?"_

_In-ha's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "I have a choice?"_

_The prince made a face. He was clearly torn between having his way and leaving it to her. He never gave an answer._

_The girl before him only shook her head. "Very well, Your Highness… Where should I begin?"_

_Prince Chang beamed._

* * *

"It  _is_  you."

Lips pursed, In-ha nodded.

"What are you doing here? Did you…" The prince looked her over, as though searching for wounds. All he found was blood. Blood and rags where he had only ever seen finery. It clearly jarred him, though his posture was never anything less than dignified. "How… How long have you been here?"

"We came right as it all began, I think," In-ha answered. "I wanted to buy something for…and then… Well, it doesn't matter now. We survived."

"And that prisoner saved you?"

"He did."

The prince searched In-ha's gaze for something else – everything else – and she knew it. The joy that brightened his demeanor had faded into curiosity and hurt. Well-masked, of course, and not something Byung-gi could detect, but In-ha had once known his disappointment well enough to sense it once more.

Byung-gi took the strange silence as a chance to speak. "Your Highness, he saved my lady and myself – and many others, not least of whom were children and a newborn. Come sunrise, he was the first to search for survivors."

The prince finally laid his eyes on Byung-gi in acknowledgment, but they returned to In-ha soon enough. "I'll give the order, then."

In-ha nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The approach of footsteps signalled the return of his bodyguard, followed by the uinyeo from the plaza. The former stopped at the sight of his ward's grip on the girl.

"Your Highness?"

The prince released In-ha, answering the question on his bodyguard's pointedly lifted brow. "This is…" He turned to her with a thoughtful look. "Sun-yeong. She was my friend at the palace."

In-ha breathed deeply so as not to reveal the way her heart had leapt at the name. "You remembered," she murmured. "I'm honored, Your Highness."

The bodyguard blinked. "She's strangely far from the palace for a  _palace_  servant…"

In-ha gulped, but the prince was unruffled. "She was released from service long ago. Her father needed her. Don't be silly, Mu-yeong."

In-ha smiled at Mu-yeong and motioned to her own guard. "And this is my brother, Byung-gi."

Byung-gi bowed. "I am honored."

Mu-yeong bowed respectfully in turn, and then motioned to the uinyeo. "The uinyeo – Seo-bi – is ready to leave, Your Highness."

The woman smiled at In-ha and Byung-gi, clearly caring little for the subtle jabs between them but apparently glad to see more survivors. They returned her courtesy, and In-ha turned to the crown prince.

"Your Highness, Byung-gi and I should begin helping with the corpses."

"Right." The prince looked around. "All I need is one of the soldiers to give the order to."

"We will find one at once. Thank you, Your Highness."

The prince nodded, face giving nothing away as the two 'siblings' bowed. When they departed, he looked displeased.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

"I've come to repay the favor," In-ha said, looking around the city's prison. Much of it was also covered in blood, given that the monsters found their way here the night previous, but soldiers had already removed the corpses inside.

The man who saved them rose from his seat on the ground, hardly bothering to dust himself off. "How? You don't have the keys."

"My brother is getting them. The crown prince said we could release you if you help with the efforts."

"Oh." Instead of looking grateful, he now looked suspicious.

In-ha frowned, but didn't get the chance to ask why. The prisoner in the cell next to him, a man with a plank around his neck, crawled over to the door. "I-I can help with the effort, too! It's getting rid of those monsters, right!?"

In-ha nodded. "What are you in here for?"

"Stealing bread…"

Byung-gi returned as the man responded, twirling the ring of keys around a finger. "Theft. Were you thinking of releasing him, Sun-yeong?"

In-ha pursed her lips. "Theft cannot possibly be a good enough reason to leave him to die a monster. Or to starve. What do you think?"

"I agree. We need all the hands we can get," said Byung-gi, already trying the keys for the man's cell door.

In-ha turned to her actual objective as he did so. The man with the top bun didn't seem to care if he were left out of the conversation, only blankly looking between the two siblings. "We should start beheading them once we get out. Do you have spare weapons?"

"Take her—my spare," said Byung-gi, unlocking the prison door. He stepped inside and began to finally free the prisoner of the plank. "It should do."

"But—"

"My sister," he added as In-ha began to protest, "will be helping us drag the bodies out." In-ha gave him a deadpan look as reluctant acceptance while the other prisoner ran off to search for his family first. Byung-gi then approached the man's cell, rifling through the keys. "But I'll thank you to stay with us. I'm grateful you saved our lives, but these swords are special to the family."

The lock clicked open, and the man let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out. "That's fine. Thanks."

In-ha turned to him as she started walking toward the exit. "What's your name?"

He met her gaze, gauging whether or not to trust her with it. She would have been indignant if he hadn't responded sooner. "Yeong-sin," he said, inclining his head. "Let's get to work."

Yeong-sin walked past her, looking back once he got to the prison exit only to give them an urgent look. Then he went ahead again.

"He has a one track mind, doesn't he?" asked In-ha, watching him go.

"The kind you want in a soldier," Byung-gi corrected her. He narrowed his eyes as soon as the words left him, thinking on them and the events of the previous night.

It was rare when he had a look like that on his face. "What is it?"

"Nothing. He's right. Let's go."

* * *

The blade swung down with considerable force and sliced another head clean off its not-quite rotting body.

In-ha let out a breath, picking up the head and setting it down on a mat. It lay next to the other corpses they would later burn. Moving on to the body, she took hold of its legs and prepared to pull. To her surprise, Yeong-sin stood where the head had been and lifted the body from under its arms.

He'd been watching her do her part in their work, and she had wondered if he was ever going to say anything while her arms and back began to ache. Even now, he only nodded to signal that he was ready. With a grunt, she lifted the corpse on her end and let it down when he nodded again.

In-ha exhaled again. She could withstand the stench of a few bodies, but they were piling up. Very soon, she knew, she would very likely retch.

Yeong-sin stood up and stared at her. "If you feel queasy, you should step away first."

Dragging another body into the lineup they had prepared, Byung-gi clapped the dirt from his hands and looked to them. "Do you feel ill? …Sister?"

"I do not," In-ha lied, pressing her lips tightly together. "Let's get this done."

Yeong-sin stared at her. It was more or less blank, but his companions could tell he didn't believe it. Byung-gi voiced similar thoughts with a snort. "Look at your face. You're turning ashen. Breathe a little and come back."

"I'm fine," In-ha snapped, giving Byung-gi a look, but he refused to back down.

Neither did Yeong-sin. "You'll just be more trouble if you faint."

"I  _won't_."

Whatever the men were about to refute that with went unsaid as city soldiers ran past in a hurry.

"Hey! What's going on?" Byung-gi called out.

"We're going!" one of them yelled back.

Yeong-sin and In-ha looked to each other. "Going where?"

"Going!" said another, and disappeared behind the next corner.

Byung-gi frowned. "I'll go see what's going on…" He stared at Yeong-sin, and then at In-ha.

She nodded, a silent promise that she would stay safe. "Hurry back."

With a bow he didn't realize he'd given, Byung-gi rushed after the soldiers.

Yeong-sin quirked a brow at her for the strange formality, and In-ha shook her head. "My brother is…strange."

He didn't respond to that, and In-ha was beginning to learn not to. When she didn't say any more, he began to hack more heads off bodies.

In-ha watched, taking the brief rest they had insisted upon. Yeong-sin still bore blood on his jaw and his left cheek, not to mention the dirt that covered the rest of his face and his person. Despite all that, she saw that he possessed distinct features – and not just those eyes of his. There was something about the way his brows furrowed, and his mouth…

"What?"

"What?" In-ha blinked. He'd caught her staring, and was giving her another suspicious look. Given his state and his apparent paranoia, she wondered how long he had suffered those monsters.

"What is it?" Again, he waited for her to speak, staring unabashedly at her.

"…I just wanted to thank you for saving us. And that boy, and that woman, and those people."

For a beat, his eyes widened in surprise. Then his features relaxed again, and Yeong-sin shrugged. Hacked off another head. "We all did what we had to."

But that was her point, In-ha wanted to say. He didn't have to. But there was little time to say it as Byung-gi sprinted into view, signaling them to follow by gesturing wildly. Once they did, with Yeong-sin bearing In-ha's blade, the man turned and ran, slowing down only to let them catch up with him.

"They're taking the last cargo ship!" he cried, leading them to one of the docks. Far ahead of them, up the river, the ship had already cast off, too far to reach. Closer and waving their arms at the ship to return were commoners, weeping and crying out in vain.

"Take us with you!"

"Don't abandon us!"

"Please take us with you!"

The ship continued to grow smaller, as if their weeping spurred it on.

In-ha panted as they reached the dock, leaning on her knees once she stopped. While she caught her breath, a little girl's voice rang out amid the weeping crowd.

"Is there a ship for us, too?"

Yeong-sin exhaled helplessly, sharing a look with his new companions.

"Does the crown prince know?" Byung-gi asked. "Is he on that ship?"

In-ha felt her heart sink at the thought. "He wouldn't…"

As if on cue, the galloping of horses pulled the crowd's attention inland. Its riders dismounted and approached at once – the prince, his bodyguard, and the uinyeo.

In-ha caught the prince's gaze and the worried question in it. "A cargo ship. Presumably with…"

"Dongnae's military commanders and high officials," Yeong-sin finished, when she hesitated. "They all left on that ship. Without cleaning the bodies. When the sun sets, they'll wake up again."

Mu-yeong cast a glance over the murmuring crowd. "Are there no other ships?"

"They all burned down last night. That was the last ship," said a lower-ranked soldier, stepping forward.

The prince looked worried. "We need to find a place to hide everyone before sunset."

Mu-yeong turned to his ward in revelation. "The barracks!" he said. "Everyone will be safe there."

The soldier shook his head. "They tore down the barracks to repair the ship."

Everyone fell silent at that, and the hopelessness was palpable until Seo-bi spoke. "We can go to Jiyulheon," she suggested, coming up from behind Mu-yeong. "The infected were unable to get out for several days, so they shouldn't be able to get in."

The people turned to the prince expectantly. The prince glanced back, eyes eventually lingering on In-ha. She said nothing – his mind was drifting purposely, considering Seo-bi's words.

"We take refuge in Jiyulheon. Anyone who can walk will walk. The old and the sick will be carried on the wagons," was his decision. "We have horses."

"So do we, Your Highness," said Byung-gi. "We can use them as well."

"Good." The prince gave his bodyguard the signal.

"We make for Jiyulheon!" Mu-yeong announced. "We must make it safely inside before the sun sets, so please hurry!"

The crowd began to file off the dock. Yeong-sin glanced back at In-ha and Byung-gi, who motioned for him to go ahead once he retrieved her sword.

In-ha bowed to the prince. "We'll collect our horses at once, Your Highness."

He nodded. "We'll meet at the city gates. The people will still be loading their wagons, but… hurry back to us."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Bowing alongside Byung-gi, In-ha departed.

Mu-yeong walked next to the prince as they made their way back to the city to oversee the evacuation. It was still relatively hot out, which made it mid-afternoon… but it wouldn't be long before sundown.

"I'm curious, Your Highness," said the prince's bodyguard. "I did not know you had other friends in the palace."

Prince Chang shot him a dirty look. "What should I take that to mean?"

"That is to say," Mu-yeong began, "you aren't very friendly. Your Highness, you are very civil with your retinue of eunuchs and court ladies, but… that young lady seemed to be your friend."

The prince wrinkled his nose. "I have friends."

"I don't mean the scholars…" Mu-yeong murmured, "the ones who helped Your Highness get into this mess…"

"Neither did I," the prince frowned. "Wait… Since when has it been my bodyguard's business to meddle into my personal concerns?"

"Personal concerns sounds strangely intimate, Your Highness. She was only a servant, after all."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked Prince Chang, picking up the pace and leaving him behind. For all the trouble they were about to get into, he found himself tutting almost mischievously. "Did you say you were seeking the annihilation of your family? I see. I see."

Mu-yeong sighed, hurrying after him. "I really don't know where Your Highness learned to be so unkind…"

* * *

As commanded by the prince, In-ha and Byung-gi met the other survivors at the city gates nearest the path to Jiyulheon. The wagons were loaded lightly, mostly with the elderly, a few of the sick, and some children. Two were already hitched to the horses of the prince and his bodyguard behind the group. Standing apart from the others, Yeong-sin caught sight of the pair and walked over to meet them.

"These will help," he said, taking the reins of In-ha's horse and leading them to the other two wagons. When the riders dismounted, he helped attach the wagons to their horses.

"Are there any still left in the city?" asked In-ha.

Yeong-sin shook his head. "We should go ahead. If those in front walk faster, the others will hurry to catch up."

Byung-gi agreed with a pat on his horse's side. "Lead on."

The three made their way to the head of the group, bowing to the prince when he noticed them.

"It's time for us to go," said the crown prince, with his bodyguard waving to the crowd for attention. "It's a long walk across the fields and through the mountain pass, but we need to move as quickly as possible. We  _will_ make it by sundown."

The crowd said nothing, only bowing, but it was difficult to doubt the stern expression on the prince's face. If he believed they would make in time, then they would have to.

They took off with the crown prince and Mu-yeong at the helm. In-ha walked between Byung-gi and Yeong-sin, eyes on the scenery ahead. She wondered how it could be possible for such beauty to exist in the day – only for that beauty to prove home to the terror they would inevitably face at night.

Sighing, she let her gaze fall to the people ahead. The prince, Mu-yeong, and Seo-bi. Yeong-sin was something of a mystery, always with that serious look on his face. She wondered if the uinyeo would be more forthcoming about what happened.

She sped up a little to catch up with Seo-bi, greeting her with a smile when their eyes met.

"Hello. Miss, you were in Jiyulheon when it began, weren't you?"

Seo-bi blinked, then nodded.

"I was wondering…" said In-ha, "Sad to say, but… We have heard stories before – of people resorting to…consuming the dead. But nothing like this."

Seo-bi hesitated. It seemed she knew the answer, or had a clue of sorts, but her eyes darted to the crown prince.

The crown prince and his bodyguard had heard In-ha's murmurs. The latter seemed suspicious, while the former returned Seo-bi's gaze. The same hesitation passed his features, and then his eyes darted to In-ha. Another man gauging whether or not she could be trusted.

This time, In-ha inclined her head, signifying that she would not insist if he wanted her not to.

Eventually, the prince gave Seo-bi a nod.

Seo-bi exhaled, turning to In-ha with more confidence now. "Yes. The circumstances were different."

"How so?"

"Physician Lee Seung-hui... Master had been away for some time. He traveled to Hanyang with Dan-i, his apprentice. And when they returned…" she shook her head, took another deep breath. Swallowed. The events were still fresh in her mind. "Dan-i was dead. He bore bite marks all over his body. It was…"

Her face scrunched up a little, but almost as soon as In-ha saw her eyes mist, Seo-bi had schooled her features back to the professional.

"I'm sorry," said In-ha, a hand squeezing her arm. "And Dan-i was…"

She didn't need to finish for Seo-bi to nod.

In-ha was silent for a time as they walked on. The name Lee Seung-hui was familiar to her, and it shamed her that her memory would fail her now, when it was most crucial. Still, it wouldn't come to her, and something else in Seo-bi's tale had piqued her curiosity.

"Hanyang," she repeated. "Physician Lee traveled to Hanyang?"

Ahead of them, the crown prince let out an audibly frustrated sigh. "He was the Royal Physician up until three years ago," he said. It wasn't a snap, but he was clearly less composed than usual.

Seo-bi and Mu-yeong looked surprised, but In-ha only lowered her gaze. "Of course. Thank you, Your Highness."

The crown prince only sighed again and went on his way, further ahead.

Seo-bi looked to In-ha curiously. The latter kept her head bowed and continued walking.

* * *

The afternoon-long walk was mostly quiet after that. The travelers kept to themselves, conserving their energy and their water, and soon they made it to the mountain pass. Here, the trees shaded them from the sun and the air was much cooler.

In-ha was grateful for it. Walking up the winding incline was tiring for the children and the older adults who couldn't fit on the wagons, and the heat would only slow them down.

She hadn't noticed, but ever since her brief interaction with the prince, her eyebrows had sunk along with her mood until they were furrowed unhappily. Still walking at the same pace next to her, Seo-bi finally spoke.

"What brought you to Dongnae?"

In-ha glanced up. She hadn't thought Seo-bi one for small talk, given that she had initiated their earlier one and had had none since, but perhaps she had mistaken the uinyeo's calm for disinterest.

"Oh… Byung-gi and I were looking for…" she sighed before she continued. "For a homecoming gift for my—for our father. He's been away. But that all feels so long ago now. And you… you were stationed at Jiyulheon with Physician Lee?"

Seo-bi nodded. "You said Physician Lee sounded familiar. As His Royal Highness said, he was once the Royal Physician. One of the most brilliant doctors in the country."

The movements of Seo-bi's face were always subtle. She gave off an unflappable air, but of course the loss of their mentor hurt her. Even so, the uinyeo subdued the emotions from her face once again.

In-ha pursed her lips, giving her a sorry look. She knew the turbulence behind that wall very well… But before she could speak, Seo-bi gave a determined exhale.

"Before he died, master said he could find a cure to this madness. If I could just study his journals… I think I might be able to."

In-ha didn't know this woman, nor had she even thought much of her at first. Now she was ashamed for not seeing more. Now, though she couldn't prove why, In-ha believed Seo-bi could do as she intended. Perhaps she only needed to hold on to something to keep her wits about her in such strange times, but she did.

"You will," she found herself saying. "You have to."

She hadn't meant to put the weight of her own hopes on the woman, but Seo-bi only nodded. And despite the serious nature of their conversation, they shared a smile.

In-ha's disappeared at the hand that suddenly clamped around her right arm.

She whirled in shock, gasping, only to find Yeong-sin looking down at her. Her reaction made her release her at once as though scalded, shoulders just as tense as hers. When hers relaxed, so did his.

"What is it?" she asked this time. Next to her, Seo-bi had stopped, too.

"Watch it," he said, pointing to a branch in their way, large enough to trip over and small enough to overlook. A few of them skirted the path.

In-ha blinked. "Oh. Thank you, Yeong-sin," she smiled again despite herself. His words were crude, but admittedly, she overlooked it because of what he'd done for them last night. And that he would be looking out for her in such a way was unexpected.

Seo-bi seemed to think the same. "Thank you," she repeated, but stiffly, without the warmth she had given In-ha just moments earlier. In-ha, who had been a stranger to her. Hadn't she and Yeong-sin been there, together, during the outbreak?

In-ha glanced between them. Yeong-sin didn't meet Seo-bi's gaze.

She didn't have time to ask. One of the children, a little girl, tripped over one of the smaller branches not far ahead. Seo-bi rushed to her side, picking her up by the arms and dusting off her dress. In-ha slowed down, waiting to walk next to her again, but the girl kept Seo-bi in place, clinging to her back while pointing at something ahead fearfully.

Corpses. Pressed between the large boulders scattered across the mountain, sleeping in the shade of small caverns carved into the earth.

Suddenly, In-ha was no longer so grateful for the cold that had settled over the mountain. It wasn't brought about by a breeze, but the passing of the day they had failed to outrun.

The silence was broken by fearful gasps, murmurs. In-ha could sense the tension about to erupt - but the prince took hold of the group.

"Run," he called out amid the rising panic. "Run! Now!"

In-ha glanced over to Yeong-sin, who was ready to meet her gaze. There was little in common between them, and she hardly thought she even liked him or his manner very much—but in so little time their group had suffered much, and it was easy to determine the message in his eyes.

 _Stay alive_.

Without even a nod, they broke apart, Yeong-sin picking up a nearby boy and running for Jiyulheon, In-ha rushing forward, searching for Byung-gi.

He found her first. "In— Sun—" he fumbled, only to shake his head. "Go!"

She would have followed had the prince not run past, yelling the same at everyone else. "Where are you going!?" she called out after him.

His head turned, his face shocked, relieved. Like he'd found her. "The horses," he said, only to turn to the crowd again. "Go!"

Byung-gi knew what In-ha was going to say before she even thought it. "Very well, but hurry."

In-ha touched his wrist. "We still have to warn papa. We'll be fine," she promised.

"Fine," Byung-gi huffed, running past the first wagon, "but take the first horse."

The crown prince had run to the wagon at the tail end of the group, and the fear that had crept up In-ha's spine could no longer be kept at bay by the hope that the people were running, that clearly they would make it. Not when he was in the most amount of danger.

"Those who can—push! Go!" the prince commanded.

When those behind her were ready, In-ha ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The guys are hot and cold this chapter. I guess we should have made that the title chapter, but I'm sleepy and thinking of Gandalf going FLY, YOU FOOLS and that is absolutely what I was yelling at the TV during the zombie run in Episode 4.
> 
> Route split starts in the next chapter! Let us know what you think so far. :)


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